About Scott

The Camp Counselor works with summer camps training their staff, designing programs, guiding administrators, writing curriculum and a whole lot more! Consultant and Trainer, Scott Arizala, specializes in energetic, fun and professional workshops on a range of topics.

Summer Camp Staff Training & Training Events

Mid-Summer Consultation

Administrative & Leadership Counseling

General Camp Consulting

Conferences, Workshops & Other Professional Events

Scott Arizala, founder and CEO, has been involved with camps and youth development for over thirty years as a camper, counselor, administrator, teacher and consultant. As a professional speaker and educator, he has given keynotes, workshops, seminars and educational sessions at numerous professional conferences, training events, and organizations.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Camp Counselor is dedicated to creating the best summer camp experience for all children. Through consultation, training and counseling, The Camp Counselor provides support, education, and direction for all camp professionals, programs and staff.

Meet Scott

Scott Arizala is one of the leading experts and premier trainers on kids, staff and the experience of summer camp. He earned his B.A. from Ithaca College, with a double major in Psychology and Sociology with a concentration in Gender Studies. He has been involved with camps and youth development for over thirty years as a camper, counselor, administrator, teacher and consultant.

Scott grew up at Camp Al-Gon-Quian in Northern Michigan where he spent 18 summers going from the youngest camper to the director. He went on to direct traditional resident camps, day camps, single gender camps, and camps for kids with special needs.

He is currently the Founder & Chairman of Chasing Summer, an organization dedicated to creating access for people with autism in summer camp, recreation, and education, Founder of Camp Stomping Ground a camp focusing on radical empathy and child freedom, and the National Consultant for Camp Kesem, a student-run, national organization delivering camp to over 8000 kids who have been affected by a parents' cancer. He is the proud partner of Bioverativ, delivering the Camp Academy staff training program to camps for kids with bleeding disorders and has trained with other major associations including the American Camp Association, YMCA, Girl Scouts, Campfire, the International Association of Burn Camps, the Children’s Oncology Camp Association International, the Diabetes Education & Camp Association, Western Alliance for Independent Camps, and many more.

He is an internationally recognized professional speaker, educator, and trainer, and has given keynotes, workshops, seminars and educational sessions at hundreds of professional conferences, training events, and with organizations. He is currently the CEO of The Camp Counselor, and one of the most sought-after consultants and trainers working with hundreds of camps and thousands of staff & administrators across the world.

He has had articles published in trade journals and on various industry websites and is a pioneering faculty member of Expert Online Training, the world's leader in online training for camp staff. He is an award-winning author of the best-selling book on summer camp and youth development, S'more Than Camp and contributing editor of Happiness, Diversity & Autism: Practical Strategies for Inclusion.

Scott lives in Michigan with his wife, Karin and their three kids, Linnea, Desmond, and Griffin. They both grew up at Camp Al-Gon-Quian and got married in the assembly ring at Camp in 2007. Karin has her PhD in counseling psychology and has worked as a staff psychologist at the University of Michigan, the National Mental Health Consultant for Camp Kesem, the Mental Health Coordinator for Dragonfly Forest, and currently has a private practice in Ann Arbor.